They took Red away yesterday. He was dangerous, they said. He couldn’t be trusted, they said. I heard ‘em with my own ears and watched ‘em with my own eyes as they led ‘im – very careful-like I must say - to that big white ve-hicle and pushed ‘im inside.

I know ‘e prob’ly shouldn’a done what ‘e did, but from what they tell me ‘e didn’t mean to...or rather, ‘e didn’t have no real choice. I guess ‘e just kinda lost control for a moment or two. The same thing happened to Old Sam. I was just a young thing then, but I remember like IT happened yesterday too.

I just don’t see how you can lose yourself like that.

Old Sam was just what his name said – old. He was a big fella but real gentle, you know? Always patient when the young’ns was playin’ and fussin’ about. I remember one little feller barrelled right into the side of Old Sam. The old boy just kind of grunted and looked blankly at the dazed little one, who just shook himself a little and then scurried away as fast as he could. Myself, I never went near Old Sam but that’s just ‘cause ‘e most nearly squashed me once when ‘e wanted to sit down someplace where I was already sittin’. He never really did see too good, and that makes me think even more that what they said set ‘im off is a bit far-fetched, if ya follow me.

But just the same, one day one of the neighbour’s kids came by and musta did somethin’ to tick ‘im off, ‘cause Old Sam lost his mind and chased that kid, ahollerin’ an’ bellerin’! But 'e got 'imself all fouled up in a wire fence. Had he caught ‘im, I think Old Sam woulda killed ‘im. That’s why they took him away I think. Had somethin’ wrong with his head, they said.

I was too young when Old Sam left so I couldn’t really understand what everyone was sayin’, but I heard somethin’ about it all and started puttin’ the pieces together, you know? And now they’re sayin’ the same things about Red. ‘Course, I’m real old myself now so I know the details of what they’re sayin’ caused all this, and it ain’t the drinkin’ water, believe me! But I still don’t get it, myself. I never felt so angry I wanted to go after somethin’ b’fore, not for no reason, and most certainly not just ‘cause somethin’ rubbed me wrong. Fact is, I’ve always been real peaceable, you know? Never felt like I couldn't help myself neither.

But the day b’fore yesterday Red went mad too, just like Old Sam. The boss-man got a visit from that purdy girl o’ his and her feller. Soon as they came bumpin’ up the lane in that shiny new ve-hicle o’ theirs, Red knew he didn’t like ‘em and started actin’ funny. Went off the deep end near as I can tell. Weren’t no need for his grumblin’ and ballin’. They say ‘t ain’t jealousy, but I can’t figure it. I figure it’s got to be, ‘cause THEIR explanation just don’t make sense, and I can’t figure on anything else. Soon as someone they didn’t like showed up, Old Sam and Red both just didn’t wanna have nothin’ to do with them no how, so they set about chasin’ and scarin’ the person away.

‘Cept that Red went after that shiny new truck they parked in the lane right b’side the pasture. Dead set on bustin’ it up, he was. My guess is he figured he’d make ‘em pay for comin’ down here and takin’ the boss-man’s attention. But I still don’t get it. Boss-man never did pay us ol’ boys much attention anyway.

Maybe what they’re all sayin’ is true enough. Maybe it IS ‘cause of the little kid’s sweater and the colour of that shiny new truck. Maybe that "red" stuff really makes us bulls go looney-mad after all. But I dunno. Never happened t’ me.

But I’m, um... blind to colours, I think they say. Yessir, blind to colours, they say.

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